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Comments Off on Memaloose Hills: A Semi-Secret Wildflower Hike in the Columbia River Gorge

There is this magical thing that happens in the Columbia River Gorge every spring. The hillsides green up, the skies clear, the temperatures rise, and wildflowers explode in beautiful abundance. For hikers, this means escaping the city and, in normal years, the rain. (This year, of course, it’s pretty much sunny everywhere.) And if you…

I was recently in a situation where I was uncomfortable and anxious but knew a way to deal with it. Two, actually — neither of which I was willing to try because I was worried about what people would think. Now, this might make more sense if these were big crazy solutions to big crazy…

For a few years now, I’ve been working on a guidebook for Americans who love English soccer. The book, which I am calling The Groundhopper’s Guide to Soccer in England, is set to be published this summer. I am finishing up the writing right now, in fact. Meanwhile, I invite you to keep up with…

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about thoughts. I realize that’s a recipe for spinning uselessly, but I also think it’s a worthwhile endeavor. After all, if thoughts about “reality” create our reality, and therefore our emotions, and all of it together creates our actions, which contribute to reality, and so the cycle continues ……

The other day I spent several hours ruminating over a resentment story. I had been wronged, my day ruined, and in my head I kept repeating the same story: “Well, she said she would, but she didn’t, and now my day is screwed.” Not far from the surface was another reality, the one that really…

Comments Off on Great Oregon Coast Hike: Cape Falcon and Neahkhanie Mountain

Here is a great hike on the Oregon Coast that should be good all year round — assuming you don’t mind a little mud. And if you can add a second car, the 9-mile hike to Cape Falcon and then over Neahkhanie Mountain includes many things that make hiking on the Oregon Coast terrific. All…

In the fall of 2018, I will be leading an amazing trek in Nepal, taking a rarely-visited loop around Manaslu, the 8th-highest peak in the world at nearly 27,000 feet. This three-week trip also includes a side trip into the Tsum Valley, a sacred pilgrimage area filled with traditional Buddhist culture, right up against the Tibetan…

In August 2018 and January 2019, Embark Exploration Co. will offer a unique and exciting trip to go hiking, climbing, and cultural touring in the high country of Ecuador. “Volcanoes of Ecuador” is a two-week adventure in which we will hike remote trails, visit cultures that date back to pre-Spanish days, and most of all, summit…

Sometimes the hardest thing in dealing with “setbacks” is knowing which lesson to learn. Life throws something at me, and in my head a whole committee gets together to decide what happened and what to do about it. But which voice is correct? Which, if any, should be banned? How should I start to wrap…